Apple has sent an Email to developers letting that know that starting February 1st it will no longer be accepting iOS submissions that are not iOS 7 optimized. In a move that makes this a requirement, Apple hopes to bring more parity in the titles that are availiable in the iOS App Store.

The requirement means that all applications for iOS have to be built using the latest version Xcode 5. Apple claims that the changes in iOS 7 encompass three major changes which are deference, clarity, and depth. Apple suggests that developers review the iOS Human Interface Guidelines that were revamped just for iOS 7.

Apple would like to see a unified ecosystem and this is the reason for the push. Still some developers might not want to see the iOS 6 aesthetics depart, but long term it is likely best for the platform. With Apple making iOS optimization a requirement, developers have little choice, but to get on board with the change.

It took three months, but Apple is now pleased to be reporting that iOS 7 is powering 74% of the iPhones in use in North America. The latest figures have to come as a relief to Apple that saw the initial reception of the OS a bit cold.

While the adoption rate was good during the first week, based on initial feedback from other users that had already upgraded, some people did wait, but now with the OS already on version 7.04 it seems that users have adopted the new OS. By way of comparison Apple says that it took six months for iOS 6 to reach 83% of iOS devices and iOS 7 is way ahead of that.

While iPhone users seem quicker to upgrade, the same cannot be said for iPad owners. Ipad Owners are still have been much slower to upgrade. This is also due in part to the first generation iPad which is still hold 9% of the iPad owners back because those devices cannot be upgraded past iOS 5 which was the last version offered for the older devices.

When compared to Android, Apple is better able to push OS upgrades out and get the word out to users to upgrade. One quarter of Android devise are running a versions of Android that is at least two years old which is in stark contrast to Apple’s new OS deployment numbers.

Apple says it managed to ship nine million new iPhone 5S and 5C units over the launch weekend, but the usually tame press is already calling for a recount. The figures include China, which was not a launch market last year. Furthermore, Apple did not break down the numbers, so we don’t know how many iPhone 5Cs are in the mix.

However, Analytics outfit Localytics has crunched the numbers and found that 3.4 iPhone 5S units are activated for every iPhone 5C. The numbers only apply to US carriers and the situation appears to be even worse in the rest of the world. The iPhone 5S is outpacing the 5C by a factor of five in Japan and internationally the average rate appears to be 3.7x in favour of the iPhone 5S.

Few people expected the iPhone 5C to be a runaway success and we’re reading a lot of “we told you so” pieces from pundits across the globe. However, it should be noted that it is still way too early to call the iPhone 5C a flop. First of all, Apple never introduced two new phones, so it is impossible to put the numbers in perspective.

It all leaves the 5C in a pretty pickle. It is not much cheaper than the vastly superior iPhone 5S, but at the same time it costs the same, or even more, than the all metal iPhone 5. While the 5S is running out of stock all over the place, the 5C is widely available. Last week the Guardian reported that pre-orders for the 5C in Britain were 60 to 70 percent lower than what mobile networks were expecting.

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, who has a very good track record unless he’s talking about Apple’s smart TV, is also calling foul. He says Apple sold 5.5 million units of the iPhone 5S. Muster says Apple sold 3.5 million iPhone 5C units to carriers, but most are sitting in stores.

So, why aren’t we just calling it a flop? Well, the iPhone 5 is still on sale and in some markets it is even a bit cheaper than the iPhone 5C (off contract, of course). In some European markets the difference is up to €50, or about 10 percent of the retail price for the 16GB model. People who were waiting for the iPhone 5S just to get an iPhone 5 at a discount are probably doing just that – getting them while stocks last. All the focus is on iPhone 5C and 5S sales, but in reality iPhone 5 sales would tell us a lot more, yet nobody is counting. As long as the iPhone 5 is in stock it’s next to impossible to come to any conclusion. Yes, you read right, when everyone is looking for a polite way to call an Apple product a flop, Fudzilla is defending it - it's just too early to call.

With all that in mind, we can’t but wonder who on earth is buying the iPhone 5C?

According to iPhone Stock Checker, 46 percent of iPhone 5C units sold so far were pink, while 32 percent were blue. In other words, if it weren’t for Justin Bieber fans and fashionistas who view phones as shiny accessories, the iPhone 5C would be doing a lot worse. Green makes up for just 12 percent, while the understated candy white version (our favourite) accounts for just 9 percent of all units shipped. The hazmat inspired yellow version has a one percent share, so if you really want to look and think different, get the yellow one.

Jobs’ Mob has used its iOS upgrade to kill off those who dare to use unofficial Lightning cables.

Those who use chargers, which had not been blessed by Apple, found that after their upgrade to iOS 7 they did not work. The Tame Apple press claims that the move comes about because anything made in China, unblessed by Apple, is likely to kill you. This opposed to something that made in China by Apple, which is everything.

Apple’s cables contain a chip that authenticates the cable allowing it to be used with the device. Of course there is nothing to stop unauthorized cables with cracked chips and apparently these work fine with iOS 7. There are some work arounds if you do not want to spend cash and get an official one, but it is so complicated you might as well just by the Apple version.

The iPhone 5S and 5C launched a few days ago to much fanfare. While the 5S is proper “S” refresh of the iPhone 5, with a lightning fast processor, improved camera with a bigger sensor and new lens, better LTE support and that fingerprint sensor thingy, the 5C is nothing of the sort. It is a repackaged iPhone 5 with a better front facing camera and a slightly bigger battery.

These are the facts. Now for some spin.

The iPhone 5S got very positive reviews and rightly so. It is a nice improvement over last year’s model and since it’s an “S” model there’s no major design changes to comment on, either. However, the iPhone 5C seems to have placed heaps of reviewers in a world of trouble. You see, product reviews aren’t what they used to be. In fact, in many cases, they really shouldn’t be called reviews to begin with, since most of them now look and smell like paid adverts, which they ultimately are, in one way or another.

On the whole, reviews tended to be positive even in the heyday of the tech press. Companies didn’t usually send out samples of subpar products and reviewers didn’t want to bother with them. For example, company x would offer to send a sample of product y to reviewer z. If the product was crap, the reviewer could respectfully decline without losing face and without writing a shill review. Or, the reviewer could still do the review, making it clear that it wouldn’t be positive, but he or she would still try to find some redeeming features. Some products just aren’t winners and reviews are supposed to reflect that, offer sound consumer advice and identify shortcomings in the process, helping manufacturers avoid the same mistakes in the future.

That was then, the iPhone 5C is now – and it perfectly illustrates how once reputable sites became the laughing stock of internet communities.

Nowadays reviewers are practically compelled to do positive reviews, which usually isn’t a problem since most products really are good, and the ones that aren’t top notch still have plenty of redeeming features to write about, or a great price tag. The iPhone 5C really doesn’t have a lot going for it. It is yesteryear’s tech packed in a cheaper body, yet it is overpriced. So the tame press had to get creative.

Did you know it doesn’t feature a cheap feeling polycarbonate shell? Now that Apple is doing it, it feels like ceramics or a slab of ivory. What about the high-gloss finish? Well it apparently hides scratches and sheds greasy fingerprints with a quick wipe. Yes, you can wipe off the fingerprints, that is apparently a new feature. Oh, and it is highly resistant to flex, since it has a steel frame. The fact that virtually all phones nowadays don’t show a hint of flex and feel like you could bludgeon someone to death with them is irrelevant, because the 5C has a steel shell.

It’s heavier and thicker than the phone it replaces, but in the world of payola reviews this is actually a good thing, since the sleek iPhone 5 was apparently too light and too thin. Interestingly enough, the iPhone 5S, which features practically the exact same design as the iPhone 5 is just right. This isn’t just funny, it is lunacy.

The colours are gorgeous and vibrant, despite the fact that they are pastel, which is pretty much the exact opposite of vibrant. The terrible connect the dot cases, at $29 a pop, aren’t bad – they’re just not as “polished” as the rest of the phone. Oh, and Sir Ive is credited with perfectly integrating the exterior design with iOS 7. Yes, apparently a company with $140 billion in the bank really needs to be praised for matching six background images to six colour options. How come nobody ever thought of that? Also, quite a few US-based sites never even mentioned the off-contract price.

The iPhone 5S seems like a pretty good upgrade in my book. The iPhone 5C isn’t bad, underpowered or ugly, but it’s pricey. So why on earth are so many people losing credibility with sweetheart reviews? Luckily, there are still quite a few sane sites out there, we won’t name names of course, but for all intents and purposes reviews on big, mainstream sites really don’t deserve to be called reviews anymore. Call them what you want - adverts seems like an appropriate word, or a new form of entertainment perhaps?

Although it does not come as a surprise considering all the latest rumors and leaks, it is still a history moment as Apple has now announced the iPhone 5-based iPhone 5c that will be sold for US $99 for 16GB version on a two year contract in the US.

The new iPhone 5c features a 4-inch Retina 1136x640 screen, Apple's A6 chipset, iOS 7, 8-megapixel rear camera capable of recording 1080p, as well as front-facing camera - it is basically an iPhone 5 clad in plastic. Connection wise, it comes with 100Mbps LTE, Bluetooth 4.0 and dual-band 802.11abng WiFi.

The catch is that this time around, the iPhone 5c is coated in plastic, rather than aluminum. Despite the fact that Apple markets it as "beautifully, unapologetically plastic,", it is still polycarbonate reinforced with a steel structure. When compared to the iPhone 5, the iPhone 5 is thicker and even heavier at 9mm and 132g. It will be available in five color options: White, Blue, Green, Yellow and Pink. Apple will also offer some neat cases/bumpers for the new iPhone 5c that will sell for US $30.

The new iPhone 5c will be available for pre-order on September 13 and cost $99 for the 16GB and $199 for the 32GB, both on a two year contract. It is expected to be available in the US, China, the UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Singapore while the rest of the countries (more than 100, according to Apple) that are not on the list should get it by December.

However, unlocked and without any silly carrier subsidies the 16GB version costs $549, which is cheeky to say the least. The 32GB model costs $649. May we remind you, this was supposed to be an iPhone designed for emerging markets. We must admit we had a pretty good feeling about the 5c, we though it would be priced sensibly to compete with Android in the mid-range, but it costs $150 to $200 too much for that.

As expected, Apple has now officially announced its new iOS 7 update that will be available for all "compatible" iPhones, iPads and iPod as of September 18th.

As noted by Apple, the new iOS 7 will be supported on iPhone 4 or later, iPad 2 or later, iPad mini as well as the fifth-generation of iPod Touch. In case you missed the new features, the new iOS flavour will feature the Control Center, new Notification Center, improved multitasking, AiDrop, enhanced Photos, Safari, redesigned calendar as well as improved Siri functionality.

iOS 7 also features a native 64-bit kernel, libraries and drivers to go well with the new A7 chip, a heart of the new iPhone 5S. It will also feature re-engineered built-in apps, offer seamless developer transition, have Xcode support and run both 32-bit and 64-bit applications.

All we need now is to see the new iOS 7 in action. In the meantime, you can check out more about iOS 7 and its features here.

As it was rumored before, Apple has now sent out official invites for its event that will kick off on September 10th at its own campus in Cupertino. Although the invite itself does not shed any light on what will Apple actually unveil at its event, according to recent rumors, iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C are the best candidates.

In addition to iPhone 5C which should be available in a variety of colors as well as iPhone 5S that should feature a speedier A7 SoC, Apple is also expected to talk about iOS 7 that should be in its final stages. Other rumors also suggest that iPhone 5S might end up with a much better camera as well as a fingerprint scanner, while the A7 processor should make it about 31 percent faster when compared to the iPhone 5.

As noted, the event will kick off on September 10th at 10AM PT (1PR EST).